Hood latch



Oct. 3, 1933.

' a. F. HAMILTON HOOD LATCH Filed June 28, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l awe/M 01 snail-lawman,

Oct. 3. 1933. a. F. HAMILTON HOOD LATCH Filed June 28, 1930 2 Sheets-$heet 2 gwuwwtoz 362115 E HHP'HL'IOH,

the -latch-parts I ,17 by means of-whioh-it may be rotated. The;

Patented Oct. 3, 1933 UNITED STATES ATENT other.

I HOOD LATCH" Bertis F. Hamilton, Greenwood, Ind., ass ignor 'to. Noblitt-Sparks Industries, Inc., Indianapolis, 7 Ind., a corporation of Indiana Application June 28, 1930. Serial No. 464,503

4 Claims. (01. 29221) It is the object of my invention to produce a simple and'efiective hood-latch for holding in closed position the hood of an automobile. More specifically, it is, my object to produce such 'a latching mechanism inwhich a pair'of latches spaced along the side of the hood and located within the hood will be operated by a single control member operable from without the hood when'the hood is closed. Other objects of my invention are toproducea hood latching mechanism which 'may be constructed at low cost and which will not get out of order or become broken inusev To an extent, the present-invention resembles that illustrated and described in myco pending application Serial No. 451,614, filed'May 12, 1930, the chief difference between the mechanisms illustrated and the two applications residing in the construction or the latches, the latch-control mechanism 'being substantially the same inboth this application and in jmy earlier one. In my prior application, the latch parts mounted ont'he hood-side were adapted to be swung in a planeperpendicular tothe hood into and out of engagement with stationary mountedon the automobile frame. In the present application the latch-parts carried by .the .hood are moved into and out of engagement by movement in a plane parallel, to .thehood, with mounted on or' supported from the frame;

'The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention;- Fig. 1 ,is'Yan elevation of mylatching .mechanismas seenfrom within the hood Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through the hood-side above the latching mechanism, showing the iatchingmechanism in plan; Fig.2 is a fragmental perspective view illustrating details of construction of one of the latches; and Figs. 4 and 5 are views respectively similar 'to Figs. 1

and 2, but illustrating a modified form of con- Y "rod is inclinedaway fromthe hood-side 10'as struction. I

In all figures of the drawings, the hood'is shown in closed position withthe hood-sidelo f in cont act with a stop 11 supported from the frame 12- of the auttomobile. I struction of the hood and its associated stops is immaterial to my invention, the arrangement shown in the drawings being merely illustrative. In carrying out my invention, Ifmounted on the hood-side 10 a bearing 15 in'which there is rotatably supported an' operating member 16 which extends through the'hood-side'and at its outer end is provided with an operating handle latch-parts Fig. 3.

The precise conhandle 1'1 may also be used to raise the after the latches have been released.

On the inner end of the operating member 16 is mounted a cross bar 18 which is arrangedto rotate with the operating member. Asin my co-pending application above referred to, the 1. inner endof the operating member 16-is" convenientlyfiattened on opposite sides, the cross bar 18 being provided with an elongated'hole for receiving the flattened end of the operating member. A pin 19 maybe employed to hold-the crossbar 18 in'place on the operating member, and a compressionspring 20 acting between-the cross bar 18 and the hood-side 10' may be employed to take up lost motion and to prevent vibration and noise.

Pivotally attached to each end of {the cross bar 18, I provide a member 21 in which a rod 22 is mounted for longitudinal sliding movement. The outer ends of the rods 22 may be supported inguides 23 which are pivotally secured to the 25 the upper ends ofwhich are bent over toward thehood-side to provide lips 26, best shown in The rods 22 are provided with means forengaging ,the'lips 25, such means conveniently being provided 'bythe material of the rod itself which, beyond theassociated guide 23, is'bentto provide a downwardly extending inclined arm 28. Desirably, the rod is againbent at the lower end of the arm 28 and extendsupwardly' and is affixed to 'thebody portion of therod 22 -in order to provide rigid support-for the lower end of the inclined arm 28. Desirably, thearm woof-them well-as downwardly, and the lip 26 is'shapedto fit the arm.

Between each of the rods 22 and its-associated .100

member lfi. Relative "movement of the'rod, 22

and its associated member 21 under the influence of the springrSO isfconveniently limited by means of co-operating abutments 3 1 and 32 on the memj ber and'rod.

The dottedlinesin Fig; 1' indicate the position occupied by the'latchingJmechan'ism when the latch is released; The inclined arms 28are disi may be raised.

posed outwardly beyond the lips 26, so that the lips do not interfere with opening movement of the hood-side 10. To latch the mechanism, the operating handle 1'7 is rotated to cause clockwise rotation of the cross bar 18; and, as will be apparent, this rotation of the cross bar causes the rods 22 to be drawn inwardly iintil'the arms 28 engagethe underside of the lips 26. After this engagement is effected, continued rotation of the cross bar 18 stresses the springs 30; so that if one or" the arms 28 engages its associated bracketlip 26 before the other, the continued rotation of the operating member 16 necessary to efiect engagement of the otherarm 28' and lip 26' will not be prevented.

Clockwise rotation of the cross-bar 18 is conveniently limited by shaping the, members 21 in such a manner that the end of the one of them will engage the side of the other. The partsare so disposed that the pivotal connection between each of the members 21 and the .cross bar 18 crosses its dead-center position be- ,fore the limit of clockwise rotation of the cross bar18-is reached. As a result, when the cross bar 18 at the clockwise limit of its rotation, or .in the full-line position illustrated in Fig. 1, the springs 3.0, which havebeenstressed during the last portion of the rotation of the cross bar,

tend to retain the cross bar at the limit of its clockwise rotation, with the end of one of the members 21 engaging the side of the other.

, When the mechanism is latched, the two arms 28 are held firmly in contact with their associated bracket-lips .26 by means of the force exerted on the rods 22 through the action of the springs 30. Because of thedownward inclination of the arms 28in the directionin which the spring 30 acts, the hood side 10 is drawn downwardly, and because of the outward inclination of the portions 28 in the same direction, the hood-side is held' firmly in contact with the stop 11. To release the1latch,-itis only necessary to operate the handle 17 to cause counter-clockwise rotationof the cross bar 18 from. the full-line position shown in Fig. 1. Until the pivotal connections between the cross bar and the members 21cross; their respective dead-center positions,

;no outward movement of the rods 22 takes place;

but after the dead-center position is crossed, continued rotation of the. cross bar l8'in.the

counter-clockwise direction moves the rods 22 outwardly, and eventualiy'fthey will reachfthe dotted-line position illustrated in Fig. 1,.in which position the arms 28 aredisposedoutwardlybeyond the bracket-lips 26. Thereafter, the hood In the modification of my invention illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, the operating member 16, handle 17, and cross bar 18 are substantially the same as those used in the construction illustrated in I Figs. 1,2, and3. Pivotally attachedto the cross bar 18 at diametrically opposite points are members 21 which slidably receive rods 22 ward ends of the rods 22' are supported by guides which are similar in purpose to although diftrated in Figs. 1,- 2, and 3. That is, the guides 35 are rigidly secured to'the hood-side 10, and

each of them is bell-mouthed, at opposite ends in order to permit the angular movement of the associated rod 22 which occurs as a result of the rotation of the cross bar- 18.

For-the purpose of co-operating with the ends of the rods 22' to hold the hood in closed position,

I provide brackets 36 and 37 supported from the The outautomobile frame as by being mounted respem tively upon the dash-board 38 of the automobile and upon the shell 39 of the radiator. Each of the brackets 36 and 37 is provided with a lip 40 which is adapted to engage the outer end of the adjacent rod 22.

In the structure illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 the latching of the hood is effected by outward movement of the rods 22' instead of by inward movement as in the construction shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. The free ends or" the rods 22, therefore, are bent to extend downwardly and outwardly away from the hood-size 10 and the ears A0 are similarly inclined, in order that the latchbers 21 and the rods 22'; but the springs 30" tend to force their associated rods 22 outwardly away from the operating member 16 instead of inwardly asdo the springs 30. The ends of the members 21 are provided with extending fingers 41 either or bothof which. may engage the operating member 16 .to limit rotation of the operating member in a counter-clockwise direction (Fig.4) When the device illustrated in Figs; 4 and 5 is latched, the parts occupy the positions shown in those figures. fThat is, the springs 30 are compressed and therefore tend to force the rods 22' outwardly into firm engagement with the cars 40,

: thus serving to hold the hood in closed position.

When the device ,is latched,-the force exerted "on the members 21' by the springs 30" tends to rotate the operating member l6 and crossbar 18 in a counter-clockwise direction (Fig. 4), but such rotation is prevented by reason of the engagement of the fingers 41 with the operating member 16.

To release the latchfthe handle 17 is operatedto cause clockwise rotation of the cross bar- 18, and

this rotationserves to withdraw the ends of the rods 22' from engagement with the ears 40130 permit the hood to be raised.

In'latching the device, the handle '17- is rotated. in a counter-clockwise direction; Th-is rotation" bracket before the roddoes; the spring 39" yields and permits rotation'of the operating memberlfi to be continued until such pther rod 22 engages its associated bracket ear. Continued rotation of the operatingmember; 16 stresses-both springs 30' As I have indicated in Figs. 4 and 5, the inner ends of the rods 22" are desirably flattened or otherwise made of non-circular cross-sectionand are received in similarly shaped guides on the 'until the points of pivotal connection between the 'i'so "'iss members 21. This prevents the" rods -22"from "turning about their respective axes and insures that their outer endswi-ll properly engage the ears 40. This feature may beincorporated in the device of Figs. 1, 2, and 3; but it is not so necessary in that device because the weight or the eyes at the outer ends of the rods 22 tends to handles of automobile doors, being associated with the operating member 16 and controllable by the key 45.

I claim as my invention:

1. A latching device for an automobile hood, comprising an operating member rotatably supported in the hood-side and extending therethrough, two brackets supported from the automobile frame in spaced relation within the hood, a guide mounted on the hood-side adjacent each bracket, two rods respectively slidable in said guides, each of said rods beyond its associated guide being bent back upon itselfto provide a bracket-engaging arm which is inclined downwardly and away from the hood-side, members in which said rods are respectively slidably received, said members being pivotally attached at eccentric points to said operating member, a spring acting between each of said rod-receiving members and its associated rod and tending to force such rod toward said operating member, the parts being arranged so that the points of pivotal attachment of said rod-receiving members and said operating member cross their dead-center positions when the operating member is rotated in a direction to move the rods into latched position, and means for limiting movement of the operating member in such direction.

2. A latching device for an automobile hood, comprising an operating member rotatably supported in the hood-side and extending therethrough, two brackets supported from the automobile frame in spaced relation within the hood, a guide mounted on the hood-side adjacent each bracket, two rods respectively ,slidable in said guides, each of said rods beyond its associated guide being bent back upon itself to provide a bracket-engaging arm which is inclined downwardly and away from the hood-side, members in which said rods are respectively slidably re-.

ceived, said members being pivotally attachedat eccentric points to said operating member, and

a spring acting'between each of said rod-receiving members and its associated rod and tending to. force such rod toward said operating member. 7 a 3. Alatch for an automobile hood, comprising a rod movably supported from the hood-side and slidable longitudinally thereof, a bracket supported from the automobile frame in position hood-side between said brackets, members inv which said rods are respectively slidably received, said members being pivotally attached at eccentric points to said operating member, a spring acting between eachjof said rod-receiving members and its associated rod and tending to force such rod toward engagement with its associated bracket, the parts being arranged so that the points ofpivotal attachment of said rod-" receiving members and said operating member, cross their dead-center positions when the operating member is rotated in a direction to move the rods into latched position, and means for limiting movement of the operating member in such direction.

BERTIS FQHAMILTON. 

